petit four

American  

[pet-ee fawr, fohr, puh-tee foor] / ˈpɛt i ˈfɔr, ˈfoʊr, pə ti ˈfur /

noun

plural

petits fours, petit fours

1. a small teacake, variously frosted and decorated.

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petit four British  

/ pəti fur, ˈpɛtɪ ˈfɔː /

noun

1. any of various very small rich sweet cakes and biscuits, usually decorated with fancy icing, marzipan, etc

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Etymology

Origin of petit four

1880–85; < French: literally, small oven

Example Sentences

“The Hollywood Book Club” is the literary equivalent of a petit four: small, square and sweet.

From New York Times • Dec. 10, 2019

‘I tried a petit four made from fermented Norwegian buckwheat that tasted a lot like chocolate.’

From The Wall Street Journal • Sep. 7, 2017

They’ll end the meal with a “sip of tea,” a petit four formation styled in honor of Japanese tea and cherry blossoms.

From Time • Apr. 28, 2015

But it is not 1962, a petit four is not a silk screen, and McDonald’s burgers are not merely a symbol of commercialism.

From Slate • May 3, 2013

As I read, I imagine each piece of information is like a petit four, dissolving on my tongue.

From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy